KEYED IN

Welcome to Keyed In, the blog of Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Honor Society. This will be the go-to place for Sigma Xi members and others to learn about what’s happening in the science and engineering industry. We will share thoughts and perspectives related to Sigma Xi’s mission, including ideas that deal with the health of the research enterprise, integrity in science and engineering, and public understanding of science, as they contribute to improving the human condition. We will give updates about the remarkable work conducted by Sigma Xi chapters, which are spread across the globe. We will report on trends in research and anticipate where the industry is going. And, we will offer advice to young scientists and engineers. Our ultimate goal is to provide useful information that will lead to a more connected and more effective research community.

I am pleased to welcome you to the second installment of Sigma Xi Speaks! This initiative provides you with policy-relevant information generated by the Society’s communications and publications staff. This post contains three areas of consensus from last year’s Communicating Science for Policy event. It also highlights American Scientist articles relating to the effects of climate change, the increase in production and use of nanoparticles, and ideas for recruitment and retention of underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

In this guest post, Rick Borchelt explains why he thinks conferences about how to improve science communication are often (almost always) … um, kind of pointless. Borchelt is the communications director for science at the U.S. Department of Energy.